Ors of one-third to winfield t



(No Model.)

A. AN-NESS 8v W." M. RING.

THILL COUPLING.

7 a b s witmeooey -41 lerl 1121,

Imfindem'on. v Q 7 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT ANNESS AND IVILLIAMSON M. RING, OF LIBERTY, INDIANA, ASSIGN- ORS OF ONE-THIRD TO \VINFIELD T. BOIVERS, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,138, dated May 26, 1891. Application filed October 22, 1890. Serial No. 368,982. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT ANNESS and YVILLIAMSON M. RING, citizens of the United States, residents of Liberty, in the county of Union and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thin-Couplings; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable oth- [O ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters-of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a side view.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are detail views.

This invention has relation to thill-couplings as applied to wagons and other wheeled machines; and its object is to provide a device of such construction that any looseness in the shaft-connecting pieces caused by wear or otherwise may be conveniently taken up, and of such arrangement that the thills may be easily and quickly attached to or detached from the vehicle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the devices applied to an ordinaryshaft. The branched coupling-piece B is attached to the axle A by means of a .clip 0. The ends of the clip are threaded and pass through the perforations a a in the strap-like extension of the branches B, and are secured by the nuts, as shown.

v D indicates a detachable block made of iron and placed between the branches of the piece B. This block D is provided with a perforation b in its rear portion for the purpose of receiving the coupling-bolt c, which passes through the perforations in the branches of 0 the piece B. A transverse groove cl, of rectangular form, is made in the front of the block D, and a detail view of this block is shown in Fig. 2.

E is the shaft-iron,designed at one end to embrace the block D and at the other end to serve as a strap, whereby it maybe attached to the thill e by means of the bolts ff, which pass through perforations in the strap and are secured by nuts. The end of the piece E, which embraces theblock D, consists of a rectan-- gular bifurcated extension open below and having its branches 9 h extending downward in front and rear, as shown. The surfaces of the angular branch g are rectilinear both on the interior and exterior. The branch h is rectilinear on the inside, and at the same time is provided with a transverse rectangular groove Z, which is so placed as to be directly opposite the groove (1 in the block D, thus together forming a transverse rectangular seat open at its ends and designed for the reception of the rectangular key m. The exterior of this branch has usually a swelled surface,

so that when the threaded perforation 7c is made the part will not be weakened.

L is a set-screw, which passes through the threaded perforation 71; and is designed to press on the key m and secure it in position. In the highest position of the thills the key m rises above the broad branches of the piece B, the radial play being made sufficient by the extension of the block in front of the coupling-pin, and it may be removed by the loosening of the set-screw L, thus allowing the thills to be easily detached. By revers- 75 ing this operation the thills may be easily replaced. WVhen the thills are in their ordinary position, the key on is retained in its place bythe lateral faces of the broad branches of the piece B, thus preventing the separation of the thill and block, even should the set-screw L be loosened.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a thill-coupling, the combination of the block D, provided with the coupling perforation Z), and a front transverse groove (Z with the bifurcated shaft-iron E, provided with a groove Zdirectly opposite the groove 9 d, a set-screw L, and the detachable key m to be placed in the opening formed by the oppositely-placed grooves d and Z, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT ANN ESS. IVILLIAMSON M. RING.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. Fosnlox, JOHN A. J ONES. 

